


True Mates

by JJKMagic



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Light Angst, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Power Dynamics, Slow Build, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-11-07 22:39:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11068560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJKMagic/pseuds/JJKMagic
Summary: Law has been alive long enough to know exactly what kind of dangers he faced travelling alone, or so he thought. When he is surprised and almost overwhelmed by a group of hunters it's only thanks to the unexpected help of two other vampires that he doesn't succumb to his injuries on the spot.The vampires are Mates, True Mates, destined to be together for live. And yet Law can't help but feel drawn to the blond vampire who didn't just help saving him but who keeps smiling and welcoming him with open arms. Can Law really accept the pair's hospitality under these conditions?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the One Piece Big Bang!  
> It turned out much shorter than originally intended though :(  
> But! It's also the longest thing I have ever written, so it's not a complete failure~  
> Also, it's only the first chapter xD  
>   
>  **Edit** : I totally forgot to add explanations for the terms I used in the story xD  
> They are mostly self-explanatory but I'm also adding my own little twist to them  
> so if you're unsure about anything **there's a little glossary in the End Notes^^**

Luck had never been on Law’s side.

There had been twenty of them, all of them hunters.

He could manage them, of course, but by no means had he escaped unscathed. Despite his body‘s best efforts to close his wounds back up, the red trail of blood he left behind was more than proof of that.

He had lost the feeling in his leg a while ago, turning it more into a crutch than a means to get away, get to safety, get somewhere where he could let his guard down long enough to recover.

The feeling in his leg returned slowly but there was no way he could go on like this, when all he could see was the world tinted red by the blood slowly seeping into his eyes.  
  
He didn’t know how far he had gone when his journey came to an abrupt end. His foot caught on something, though at this point his senses had turned numb, causing the ensuing fall to be more disorienting than painful.  
  
He was thoroughly blinded, as if he had stepped right into the sunlight. His hands searched blindly but found only massive stone.  
  
A wall? A building?  
  
His flight instinct kept screaming at him but his legs remained incapable of getting up again.

This was as far as he went. All that was left was to pray as his mind too succumbed to unconsciousness.

 

**X X X**

 

Ace had noticed the foreign presence the moment it had approached the castle. Sabo had stilled at his side when he had picked up on it as well and when they went to investigate the source they were both surprised at what they found.

In its current state it was little more than a bloody lump but still unmistakeable.

_A vampire?_

How had he gotten here? It had been centuries since they had last seen one of their own kind in these parts of the world.

**He’s badly wounded.**

Sabo watched him quietly as Ace knelt down to take a closer look at the wounds riddling the vampire’s unconscious body.

_Gone for good?_

**No. His wounds are already healing.**

With his enhanced senses it was easy to see the tissue mending itself, though it was an unusually slow procedure. The vampire must have lost a near fatal amount of blood.

**Prepare a room, I’ll bring him in.**

Ace felt Sabo come to a stand beside him but his Mate’s gaze was clearly directed elsewhere.

_What about the trail?_

Ace looked up, observing the trail of blood that was more obvious to their eyes than it would be to any human’s but still too prominent to ignore.

He directed his gaze skywards then, pausing for a moment to merely take in their surroundings.

**It should rain later tonight. That should take care of it for us.**

_Alright._

His Mate vanished then, as if he had never been there to begin with. Ace quietly admired his speed as he bent down to pick up their “guest” who grunted softly upon being jostled but otherwise remained unresponsive, another worrying evidence of the other’s condition.

Had he been found by anyone or _anything_ else...

He’d not have made it.

 

**X X X**

 

The first thing Law noticed when his consciousness returned to to him was wetness. His body didn’t know what to do with the sensation, neither did his mind, so his instinctive reaction was to panic.

He was on his feet immediately, backing away from the unknown source of the sensation as far as he could. His back quickly met a wall though, and he knocked something over in his haste but he couldn’t be bothered to check what it was.

When he calmed down enough to properly assess the situation, he took a look around and to his surprise quickly realized that he might have overreacted. He found himself backed into the corner of a small room, barely a few feet away from the bed he had apparently woken in. He also found the source that had caused him to panic in the first place, a wet cloth now lying crumpled on the sheets. Knocked over in his hasty retreat and currently spilling water onto the stone floor was a water mug placed on a small table next to the bed that had probably been used to re-wet the cloth.

Law could only stare at the water dripping from the table in disbelief.

Had he been cared for here? By whom? How could they not have noticed what he was, or had they and simply didn’t care?

Suddenly he caught something out of the corner of his eye and looked up to find himself face to face with a man who clearly had not been there just a second ago, his sudden appearance indicating something that Law found hard to believe.

A vampire? How high were the chances of finding another one of his kind here?

“Sorry for scaring you. You’re safe here,” the mysterious man said, a soft smile on his face.

Law couldn’t speak, literally left speechless as he took in the other man, the other _vampire_.

His hair was blond, cascading in soft waves around his face, and there was a striking scar surrounding one of his striking blue eyes, marring a noticeable part of his face but failing to diminish his handsomeness.

He had to be a Turned like Law, the wound obviously a remnant from a time before his body gained the ability to heal otherwise lasting injuries. And even though Law had heard others mention it before he had never given it any credit himself, but there was simply something about the beauty in front of him that made it seem like it hadn’t been meant for eternity.

He was surprised at his own line of thought but he honestly felt like he had never seen a more beautiful creature before. The observation caught him off-guard and kept him feebly searching for words that just wouldn’t come to him.

He noticed something appearing in the doorway then, at the same time as another voice reached his ears.

“You are, but apologize if we’re curious about who you are either way.”

Another vampire entered the room and Law was immediately on high alert. The other’s presence was practically overbearing and Law straightened, cautious and prepared to take action.

The man who had just entered was the embodiment of a Dominant True Blood if Law had ever seen one. His eyes were dark and unreadable, his distinctive features framed by dark shaggy locks.

The chances for Law to have been found by someone like that were sheer ridiculous. According to the map he had followed, there weren’t supposed to be any vampires living anywhere near here.

“Say, how did you end up here? Where are you from?”

It was the True Blood speaking, and even though his tone wasn’t threatening, Law couldn’t help but feel intimidated. He felt his eyes drawn to the blond vampire again, though he didn’t know why. With the True Blood in the room he didn’t expect the other vampire to take any form of initiative, but...

The blond was still smiling, almost encouragingly, and Law immediately felt calmer.

“Where I am from is of no consequence,” he replied honestly, “I am on my own. I left my clan a long time ago and am traveling alone.”

He couldn’t read the reaction his answer received. He thought he saw surprise on the dark-haired man’s face but also something else before the True Blood turned to the blond standing at his side.

Were they part of a clan? Were there more of them? Was the True Blood their leader?

Law couldn’t tell. His found his senses to still be rather numb and unreliable.

The other vampires were silently looking at each other for a while and Law would have wondered about the blond’s widening smile and the soft chuckle that escaped him for apparently no reason if the explanation didn’t occur to Law just a moment later.

They were _Mates_ , conversing with thoughts alone. Law couldn’t tell if they were True Mates though, the possibility alone was enough cause for concern.

Law’s own reaction earlier was indication enough that the blond was Submissive and if the True Blood truly was his Mate then it was quite surprising he tolerated Law’s presence at all. In fact, Law would do well to leave as soon as possible.

He could move well enough and his wounds were mostly healed as far as he could tell. He felt somewhat weary though, most likely from lack of blood but he didn’t doubt that he could manage for a few more days if he was careful.

“Why did your leave your clan?”

Law hadn’t even noticed the others ending their silent conversation, so the sudden question surprised him.

His reasons for leaving his clan weren’t something he liked to talk about. He hadn’t wanted to but had ultimately found that there had been no other choice, for several reasons.

“My Sire... I had known him for quite a while before I was actually turned,” Law started haltingly, unsure of how much he really wanted to divulge.

“I do not know his reasons but he cared for me. He _saved_ me. If I hadn’t been turned...”

Law didn’t finish the sentence but was sure that the message was clear enough. He wouldn’t have survived if his Sire hadn’t found him and decided that, for whatever reason, he liked this sickly human boy.

“He was…,” and Law couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought, “He was hopelessly fond of me, even back then. But... he didn’t consider the consequences that my turning would have for the clan, or maybe he just hadn’t imagined it would turn out to be that much of a problem.”

Law paused then, even centuries later not completely unaffected by what had happened back then.

He hadn’t even realized he had sunken so deeply into thought that he had averted his eyes from the other vampires. When he noticed and looked up again he found them still but listening intently. The smile had left the blond's face, replaced by a soft, understanding expression.

Submissives were said to be extremely skilled at picking up on the emotional state of others, though Law had never bothered to find out if that was true before.

"I... I caused conflict. My mere presence was tearing the clan apart... without me doing anything at all. So I left."

_I can see why._

**You do?**

Law blinked.

He saw the other two conversing among themselves again. He saw the blond's thoughtful expression and a hint of confusion on the face of his much more stoic Mate but... for a moment there Law thought he could actually _hear_ them.

He was clearly still disoriented.

"So how did you end up here, _half dead_? Surely you didn't run into trouble with the wildlife here."

The question roused Law from his thoughts once more.

"No, I... I was caught off guard. I have never seen so many hunters before. I avoided a group of them down by the river, only to stumble upon another one camping in the forest. I... I was careless," he admitted shamefully.

He had never seen so many hunters that they could split into smaller, but by no means harmless, groups but to let his guard down prematurely... well, it had almost cost him his life.

"Yeah, those. There's a whole nest of them right next to the town," the True Blood replied almost casually and Law could only stare in disbelief.

"You mean their headquarters are _here_? I never would have thought..."

He never even stopped to question _why_ there weren't any vampire clans living even close to this area.

Law sighed. He suddenly felt like an idiot and here he had spent decades traveling without any problems whatsoever, but maybe that was exactly the reason he had become so careless.

Another thought occurred to him though.

"But then… Why are _you_ living here if you know?"

The dark-haired vampire thankfully didn't look offended at the question.

"We didn't know originally. But as it turns out _here_ is the least likely place they'll look."

That made a lot of sense on one hand but still seemed reckless.

"Don't expect others though. It's just me and Sabo here. It's been centuries since we have seen another one of our kind."

It was mentioned casually, but the information still stood out to him, probably more than what he _actually_ should have paid attention to. The blond's name was _Sabo_.

It didn't help matters knowing that as Law found his eyes once again drawn to the Submissive standing next to his Mate.

He really, _really_ ought to leave before the True Blood took offense.

"I'm really grateful for your help. I'm sorry I can't repay you but I'll be gone as soon as I can-"

"Or you could stay."

Law almost expected Sabo to have spoken up but it was still the True Blood, staring at him with unreadable eyes, who had interrupted him before he could even fully sort his thoughts on the matter.

"Stay and recover. I don't doubt you can get by on your own but you're weakened and the risk of running into hunters again will only be higher, now that they just found a vampire where there hadn't been one for centuries. We wouldn't want them become overly suspicious and discovering this location."

There was no threat in those words, nor anger. Law didn't even think he would be stopped if he decided to leave after all but he found his mouth running dry either way.

They were all valid points and it was true, his own stupidity could end up being a risk to the others.

Law wasn't strictly a people person, not at all, but he also wasn't selfish.

"You're right. I apologize for intruding and causing a mess."

The True Blood waved him off.

Would he offer his name if Law asked? He didn't want to appear too curious even though he _was_ , overly curious in fact, especially about- No! If he wanted to stay here he should definitely keep his distance from the Submissive, no matter how inexplicably drawn Law felt to him...

He was surprised at himself. He normally didn't have any problems around Submissives at all, but _Sabo_ was just... different though he didn’t know why.

It didn't help that the blond seemed to be silently encouraging and supporting Law ever since he had entered the room, without knowing him, knowing anything at all.

A Submissive’s blind trust in their intuition was truly impressive. Or was there more to it?

"I'll stay until I have recovered and pose less threat of being discovered."

More so than the True Blood, Sabo seemed very satisfied with that answer.

"A year or two won't kill you," he said, clearly high spirited. It was the first time he had spoken ever since his Mate had appeared.

"Unless, of course, you have somewhere to be?"

There was a hint of worry in his tone but also something that Law couldn't describe as anything but innocent curiosity.

"No. It's... fine. It's the least I can do."

It really didn't matter how long Law stayed. He had no goal in mind.

He would have to keep his distance from the mated pair though or he might end up finding more danger here than he could ever find opposing some hunters.

In general several Dominants living together was not a problem, after all it was a given in almost every clan, but it quickly _could_ become a problem if one of them was mated.

And what a Mate this one had found. Law found he didn't even need to know Sabo more than he did right now to envy the other Dominant.

Staying with the other vampires for a while was no problem at all. What Law feared was keeping his instincts under control, which was something he usually excelled at, more so than most other vampires in fact, but for the first time he felt like it might atually be rather difficult, especially around this specific _Submissive._

 

**X X X**

 

Not much time had passed, a few hours at best, since they had found the unknown vampire and put him up in one of the unused rooms of the castle, but it was impossible for Ace to get his Mate to focus.

The blond acted like usual but Ace knew he was alert, a part of his mind elsewhere, just waiting for a sign of the other vampire rousing from his unconscious state.

Ace couldn't blame him when they hadn't seen another of their kind in so long, even less one in _such_ a state.

**Sabo.**

_Hm?_

Like with all of his previous attempts he got Sabo to indicate he was listening but no other reaction. The blond had wordlessly draped himself all over Ace's lap and not moved since.

He wasn't seeking attention though, otherwise he would react to Ace calling him or initiate some kind of affection himself. But right now it was only his body that was present while his mind was elsewhere.

Ace sighed inwardly and gave up on rousing his Mate.

He watched the flames he had lit in the fireplace earlier and mindlessly carded his fingers through Sabo's blond locks.

That was until Sabo suddenly stilled and, in the next moment, vanished from the room before Ace could even react.

**Sabo!**

The Turned’s senses were astonishing, often surpassing even his own. Concluding that Sabo must have picked up on something regarding their visitor, Ace got up and followed his Mate.

"Sorry for scaring you. You're safe here," he could hear Sabo say as he reached their provisional infirmary.

Their guest was really awake then? That was quite a feat considering the state he had been in. It was no surprise though that he was so out of it that Sabo had to calm him down.

"You are, but apologize if we’re curious about who you are either way," Ace said calmly as he entered the room as well.

Being Dominant, and a True Blood on top of that, caused an instinctive fear in most vampires that did not share a bond with him like clan members did.

Ace observed the same fear in their guest, his striking golden eyes were sharp and cautious, gauging the situation. That much was to be expected. Surprising however was, that Ace couldn't say whether the stranger would choose fight or flight should he actually feel threatened.

Ace was more used to people who would start cowering in fear if he just so much as raised his voice. He received that reaction often enough when he did so unintentionally and had learnt to avoid it, especially around Submissives.

This one though, despite clearly intimidated, did not just silently back down. He did however, seem to be at quite a loss of what to do, maybe still out of it after having just regained consciousness.

Ace had made a rather vague statement, so maybe a more direct question to answer would help their guest to focus.

“Say, how did you end up here? Where are you from?”

Golden eyes locked onto his for a moment, only to be averted again a second later. Maybe Ace’s perception had been off after all. The other vampire seemed almost jumpy when Ace looked at him now.

That was, until his body language suddenly calmed and he started talking before Ace could figure out what exactly had happened to refocus him so suddenly.

“Where I am from is of no consequence. I am on my own. I left my clan a long time ago and am traveling alone.”

His eyes were focused on Ace again, all prior hesitation lost but replaced with a certain vulnerability. Ace understood him all too well though, which was exactly what surprised him.

_He is not unlike you, is he?_

He couldn’t help it. His surprise must have been visible as he turned to look at his Mate.

**He’s suicidal, travelling alone like that.**

_Oh, and you weren’t?_

Sabo was grinning cheekily at him. He really was in high spirits now that their guest was awake.

**That’s something completely different.**

_Oh, is it now?_

Sabo was chuckling now and Ace was more than just tempted to leave that discussion for a later time, so he focused on their guest again instead.

Ace had been travelling alone for most of his life too, but that was because he literally never had been part of a clan to begin with and joining a clan when you were a Dominant True Blood and basically at the top of the hierarchy yourself... it was really easier to just create a clan of your own but Ace had never had any interest in that either.

This vampire though, what in the world could have made him choose to travel alone? For the most part it was just a surefire way to get yourself killed.

“Why did your leave your clan?”

Ace didn’t mean to ask so bluntly, even though he really wanted to know. He regretted the sudden question too, seeing the other’s expression darken immediately with something almost haunted in his eyes.

It was just as Ace suspected then. No one in their right mind willingly left their clan.

“My Sire... I had known him for quite a while before I was actually turned. I do not know his reasons but he cared for me. He _saved_ me. If I hadn’t been turned...”

He didn’t need to finish the sentence. That too was a common story, though people who got _saved_ by being turned... often only did so to find an even more gruesome end.

“He was...”

Ace was surprised to hear the other vampire chuckle.

“He was hopelessly fond of me, even back then. But... he didn’t consider the consequences that my turning would have for the clan, or maybe he just hadn’t imagined it would turn out to be that much of a problem.”

It must have been quite a bittersweet memory that Ace had accidentally forced the other vampire to remember.

Looking up, their guest went silent again. This time though, Ace noticed the other’s gaze wandering over to Sabo.

Ace looked at his Mate too then, and his opinion might have been biased, but the blond was the perfect Submissive. No one had ever taught him, certainly not Ace, but here he was, silently supporting the other vampire as if he had never done anything else in his life.

Just as he was thinking how perfectly submissive Sabo behaved, Ace was struck with the feeling that something was off though.

Sabo was extremely intuitive. He had adopted the mannerisms of a submissive vampire without ever even having seen one himself. It couldn’t be a coincidence then… that he was also behaving surprisingly uncharacteristically right now.

He was a silent pillar of support for the stranger. That much was common behavior, but Submissives, _mated_ Submissives especially, were one thing above everything else. They were extremely fond of bodily contact, almost clingy. No matter what they were doing, even if they were supporting others, they would silently seek comfort and support themselves by staying physically close their Mates, usually close enough to touch.

Sabo had not moved from his spot the entire time though. He had not so much as made a move to come closer even though a novel experience, especially meeting an unknown vampire, would only encourage that specific Submissive trait, except for under one single condition…

It couldn’t be!

Ace focused on the man in front of him again, _thoroughly_ focused.

How could he have missed _this_?

The answer was simple, he hadn’t. He had realized the other vampire was behaving unusual but he hadn’t bothered to question _why_ that might be.

He had known immediately that the other vampire had been turned, so he had logically assumed...

He had never so much as _seen_ a Dominant Turned before but thinking about it now, this one... clearly was.

The way he prepared to fight rather than to back down and the way Sabo kept to himself, rather than to risk causing a conflict by clinging openly to his Mate, it all just made sense. It was almost embarrassing that Sabo had apparently picked up on it immediately while Ace almost wouldn’t have noticed at all.

Ace had almost forgotten what they had just been talking about when their guest had apparently collected himself enough to continue his story.

"I... I caused conflict. My mere presence was tearing the clan apart... without me doing anything at all. So I left."

With Ace’s realization just a second ago, that actually made a lot of sense.

_I can see why._

His Mate seemed to think so too.

**You do?**

Sabo turned to him, looking thoughtful.

_You don’t?_

**I do, it just took me a moment.**

_I was surprised at first but if you feel it too..._

When Ace focused his attention back on their guest he saw him watching their interaction with a puzzled expression. Ace could only wonder what caused his confusion. Had he never seen Mates before? Well, it didn’t matter. There was too much he didn’t know about their “guest” yet.

"So how did you end up here, _half dead_? Surely you didn't run into trouble with the wildlife here."

At that the other vampire seemed to regain his bearings, only to appear… almost flustered instead.

"No, I... I was caught off guard. I have never seen so many hunters before. I avoided a group of them down by the river, only to stumble upon another one camping in the forest. I... I was careless."

That actually wasn’t all that surprising. There _was_ a reason why vampires avoided this area.

"Yeah, those. There's a whole nest of them right next to the town,” Ace informed him nonchalantly.  
  
Ace and Sabo had quickly figured out that the hunters gathered in a camp right next to the town that they frequented. They had also figured out that these so called hunters weren’t nearly as clever as they thought they were.

"You mean their headquarters are _here_? I never would have thought... But then… Why are _you_ living here if you know?"

"We didn't know originally. But as it turns out _here_ is the least likely place they'll look.”

That was the conclusion they had reached, at least.

"Don't expect others though. It's just me and Sabo here. It's been centuries since we have seen another one of our kind."

That visibly caught the other’s attention, though Ace couldn’t say exactly what part had him so interested and the other vampire was quick to avert his eyes again.

He was… behaving somewhat suspiciously after all.

"I'm really grateful for your help. I'm sorry I can't repay you but I'll be gone as soon as I can-"

"Or you could stay."

Ace wasn’t exactly sure what made him interrupt the other, or to offer for him to stay in the first place, but he _was_ curious and another vampire around would surely be of benefit for Sabo as well. No matter how adapted to the life of a vampire his Mate seemed to be, it was simply a fact that he had no experience in actually interacting with others of their kind.

The other’s eyes visibly widened in surprise at the offer but Ace just continued on undeterred.

"Stay and recover. I don't doubt you can get by on your own but you're weakened and the risk of running into hunters again will only be higher, now that they just found a vampire where there hadn't been one for centuries. We wouldn't want them become overly suspicious and discovering this location."

The other seemed to think about those words for a moment before nodding slightly.

“You're right. I apologize for intruding and causing a mess. I'll stay until I have recovered and pose less threat of being discovered."

"A year or two won't kill you,” Sabo suddenly spoke up, surprising Ace as well as their guest, "Unless, of course, you have somewhere to be?"

Ace had to refrain from snorting at Sabo’s enthusiasm. The blond was trying to be considerate but he was noticeably excited at the prospect of getting to know another vampire. That was only to be expected though.

"No. It's... fine. It's the least I can do."

The other vampire really _was_ flustered. Ace couldn’t blame him. Sabo was… well, _Sabo_ . But again, Ace’s opinion might have been a little bit biased when it came to that.  
  
_With that settled, how about I show him around, while you prepare a room where he can stay?_

Ace looked at his Mate in confusion.

**Can't he stay here?**

The stern look he received in response was already an answer in itself.

_Come on, we have much better rooms that serve no purpose at all. And we'd have to clean this one anyway. It reeks of old, dried blood in here..._

It did smell of blood but Ace's senses weren't quite as sensitive as to perceive the smell as uncomfortable.

**Fine. You do that and I'll... find a room.**

Sabo looked pleased with that answer and promptly turned to their guest.

Ace sighed inwardly. Even if he hadn’t been so intent on supporting Sabo in any way possible, he'd never have been able to deny him anything either way.

 

**X X X**

 

Law could only look on as the pair of Mates conversed among themselves again.

Apparently they reached a decision though and Law wasn't sure if he was only imagining the slightly defeated look on the True Blood’s face as Sabo turned back to him.

“Come, I'll show you around. Since you'll be staying here for a while you should know the outlay of the castle. Ace will take the time to prepare a new room for you.”

Ace.

Law wondered if it was a coincidence that they had both inadvertently introduced the other without ever introducing themselves, _or_ inquiring about Law's name.

It... really was noticeable that they hadn't had any real contact with other vampires in a long time.

He wasn't about to criticize them though. There would be more than enough time to talk to them properly now that he had agreed to stay.

He just still wasn't sure if that had really been the best decision.

"This way," Sabo said and Law could do naught but follow him when the blond left the room without waiting for any kind of confirmation.

Law blinked, several times in fact, when they entered the hallway outside. It was long. Much longer than Law would ever have expected. Just where was he anyway? He hadn’t been able to see much when he had blindly stumbled his way here.

Only two vampires were living here? This building, whatever it was, seemed to be gigantic.

"Most of the rooms you see here are empty. We don't use them at least. Let me show you around the ones that might actually be of interest for your stay here," Sabo said and his ever-present smile was more charming than it had any right to be.

Law groaned inwardly. He didn't even _know_ these people. Just what was it about Sabo that made him feel so out of his element?

The blond led him down the hallway unhurriedly when he suddenly stopped.

"Ah! What's your name, by the way? I'm Sabo. The big guy's Ace, who totally forgot to ask of course," the blond said, a soft chuckle escaping him.

"I'm Law."

"Law, huh? It’s nice to meet you. Feel right at home here for the duration of your stay. Speaking of which..."

At that point Sabo opened a door right in front of them. Law hadn’t even realized that they had reached the end of the hallway though he saw another, almost as lengthy, corridor to their left.

Sabo stepped into the room in front of them and Law followed him to take a look around.

"This is what we lovingly dubbed the living room. We spend most of our time here, so... feel free to make yourself comfortable here whenever you like as well,” Sabo explained as Law took in his surroundings.

The room was massive but relatively empty. There was something of a sofa placed in the middle of the room and he detected some human-made paintings on the wall but most noticeable was the massive fireplace on the wall to the right. That was about everything that was in the room though.

In the end it was only sparsely furnished and still managed to feel homely. It was also noticeably warm as if the fire had just died down. Then... the Mates must have been in here before Law had awoken as well.

"There's nothing overly amazing in here, I realize. If there's anything you need, just tell us."

"N-no, it's fine, really. I don't want to trouble you," Law retorted quickly.

The blond‘s soft chuckle was a sound that Law found himself quickly growing fond of.

„Don‘t worry. It‘s no bother at all. We could definitely profit from some changes around here too. There‘s just never been anything specific we felt we needed and a lot around here might seem sparse and empty, so your contribution might actually be a real help.“

„Alright,“ Law agreed haltingly, „if I think of anything I‘ll let you know.“

„Great! Well, I‘d better show you around a little more. Follow me.“

He left the room again and this time Law didn‘t even hesitate to follow him.

They went down the corridor Law had seen earlier. This time he also noticed the stairs right opposite to the next room they passed.

„This is the dining room. It gets used occasionally... ah, you‘ll find out soon enough,” Sabo said cryptically but Law saw no need to question that for now.

“Ace and I sleep in the next room just past here,” Sabo said, pointing down the hallway.

“If you should ever need anything during the day you can find us there. And… well, I’m afraid that’s all that’s of any interest on this floor. There’s another room upstairs that we use occasionally but it’s not overly interesting either, so I suggest we head down next,” Sabo explained.

Law just nodded and tried to file away all the tidbits of information he was given as he followed the other vampire down the stairs.

It was surprisingly dark, no matter where they went and Law had not paid attention to it before but now he saw that every window they passed had been quite masterfully barred. It was night now but he didn’t doubt that even during the day not a trace of sunlight would make it through.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs they entered what Law could only guess was an expansive foyer. This had to be the ground floor then.

"There isn't much of interest in the castle but I dare say at least this floor should offer something of interest for you. Come on, this way," Sabo beckoned him excitedly as he rounded the stairs and made his way towards the rooms that had to be situated just below the ones that Sabo had just shown him on the upper floor.

There weren't many doors here, in fact, in front of them was but a single double-winged door.

Sabo's hand rested on one of the doorknobs as he turned around to grin at Law mischievously.

"This here is one of my favorite rooms, if you can even call it that."

With that he swung the door open and Law's senses were bombarded with a sea of different smells.

"What...?"

But Sabo had already disappeared and Law hurried to follow him and suddenly... he found himself in an ocean of flowers of all kinds and colors.

The room was bright, unlike the rest of the castle though Law couldn't pinpoint the source of the light. It seemed almost natural but obviously couldn’t be sunlight.

It was like a completely different world in this room. Could it even be called a room? It was more like a vast indoor garden. Law had never seen anything like it. Well, he hadn't really seen any kind of flowers ever since he had been turned. The darkness of the night just wasn't the time where the bright colors they held could be fully appreciated.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

He had almost forgotten about the blond standing right next to him.

It just... really wasn't a sight he had expected to see again, not like this.

"Are you... responsible for this?"

Law couldn't even fathom how vampires would sustain such sensitive lifeforms when the light that one of them needed to survive was what the other had to avoid at all cost. Did it have something to do with the light in this room?

"I am partially. But this place actually sustains itself well enough."

He saw Sabo pointing at a water basin in the middle of the room and it took Law a moment to figure out what was so unusual about it. When he looked closer though he recognized the small lines stretching in every direction. There... there were small rivulets of water flowing through each of them.

It hadn’t occurred to him before but this building… had it been built by humans? Vampires rarely built their own houses. People building houses during the night, never to be seen during the day. It was hardly surprising that such buildings were quick to be attacked by hunters. It was too obvious just what kind of people lived there.

"Was this... human-made?" Law found himself asking.

Vampire architecture was rare but what he was seeing right now just seemed too progressive to have been built by humans.

"We assume, yes, but we don't actually know," the blond replied carefully and Law didn't know if he should be relieved or worried that the other seemed to be just as in the dark as he was.

"We also don't know why this place was abandoned. We have some speculations about that but I have yet to confirm any of them."

Sabo laughed softly, probably reading Law's expression

"You shouldn't worry too much. We haven’t encountered any danger here in centuries. Also, wouldn't it be boring if we knew everything already? Though I'm admittedly not much closer to answers than I was centuries ago either."

He said that... and he really seemed to be unbothered by it. Law almost envied him. Knowledge that would just eluded him would irk him to no end personally.

"In this case, rather than questioning it, I'm satisfied just enjoying what I've been given."

Law could only stare at the other man. It almost seemed like he had just read his thoughts...

"Don't you think so?"

Law had to force these stupid thoughts out of his mind as Sabo turned back to him,  as always with a smile on his face.

He just seemed genuinely happy and Law almost couldn't stop himself from mirroring his smile, even though it was in a much more subdued way.

"I guess so. I... I definitely didn't expect to see something like this... ever again."

And he didn't think he would mind either. He had never cared much for flowers when he had been human but seeing them now... was somehow overwhelming. It was almost embarrassing how sentimental he felt all of a sudden.

"No need to be embarrassed. Even Ace was speechless when he first saw this. It was rather amusing to see really."

And whenever Law thought he could relax, he was caught off-guard again by just how perceptive the other was. Was it really just intuition? It almost felt like the blond could read his mind with the way he just kept mentioning exactly what Law had been thinking about just the  moment before.

Sabo looked at him puzzled when Law didn’t offer any kind of response. Law was about to reassure him when he saw Sabo’s expression change, as if he had just come to a realization.

“Is… something wrong?”

Law didn’t know what he was referring to, but he doubted that it was just about him not responding right away. The blond sounded unsure, as if he himself didn’t exactly know why he was asking.

“No? Everything’s fine. I was just… distracted.”

At least he hoped he was. It was all just a bit much happening all at the same time. He was really starting to get exhausted too. That had to be it.

“Ah, right. Sorry. I would better show you the rest. You must be exhausted and eager to get some rest.”

It didn’t matter that Law didn’t really believe that was the reason. At least Sabo seemed satisfied with that explanation.

“There isn’t even all that much but... ah well, better to just show you.”

The blond was right back to being his usual self. When he left the room to show him something else Law could only follow him despite being utterly confused on the inside.

He could really use some time alone to sort his thoughts but he figured that would have to wait for a while longer.

Sabo led him to the room to the right of the foyer next.

“This is... well, we don’t use it much. We hardly get the chance to. Maybe it’s of interest to you regardless.”

For once the blond almost seemed to ramble as he opened the door and stepped inside.  
  
It was another rather bright room and just as big as Law had come to expect the rooms to be.

When Law stepped inside all he could see were paintings. The human-made portraits and other paintings on the wall were not what caught his attention though, rather the myriad of easels filling the room, each showing paintings in different states of progress.

“You paint?”

Law was honestly just surprised at the conclusion he had arrived at. It was a rather unique hobby among vampires as far as he knew.

Sabo laughed in amusement or maybe he was just a tad embarrassed.

“Not seriously. I just happened to saw a merchant selling paints and thought why not? It’s not easy finding anyone selling paint after dark though, so as I said, this room isn’t used much.”

Still, they had tried and, in Law’s opinion at least, the results were rather decent.

The pictures, unlike most human-made paintings he knew, didn’t so much show persons as they did landscapes. He recognized Sabo’s works, seeing brilliant green in the trees he still remembered but hadn’t seen in so long. Law found himself wondering if it was possible to grow trees in the garden. He… wouldn’t mind seeing them again if he had the chance.

He was so busy inspecting the unfinished paintings that he didn’t notice when the blond left his side until he looked up again some time later.

Law found him looking at some of the paintings on the wall, apparently lost in thought, and, after a moment of hesitation, joined him.

Law couldn’t name any human artists but he kept seeing familiar styles whenever he bothered to pay attention to such things. Rather than a shared style though, the pictures in front of him seemed to share the same theme.

They showed men and while you might be able to interpret differently, Law was almost certain he was looking upon the depiction of male lovers.

“I just realized I haven’t been in this room for quite some time,” the blond said suddenly and then with no apparent context, “Humans are weird creatures, aren’t they?”

Law didn’t know how to respond, wasn’t even sure if he was supposed to.

“At some point they too understood love as a gender-independent concept. I wonder why that changed?”

That was when Law realized what he should have realized right away.

It had been so long since he had met another Turned that he had almost forgotten that there _were_ vampires who had actual opinions on human society, apart from the expected hate, disgust or just plain ignorance.

And above all he was surprised at just how open the blond was about it, so much so that Law felt like he was suddenly catching a glimpse of the human beneath.

Sabo looked at him then and Law could see how serious and maybe even painful the topic was to him just before the blond’s expression brightened up again.

“Sorry for getting sentimental. Not that it affects me or anything, I’m just hoping, you know?” he apologized himself, laughing embarrassedly.

“Hoping that someday they will remember what they once already knew.”

The life one had before being turned, slowly but surely it was forgotten, but above all it was highly personal and Law was surprised he was given any insight into Sabo’s former life at all and still Law found himself wanting to ask, wanting to know who Sabo was, who he had been.  He doubted he’d ever be close enough to the blond to be allowed to ask.

As invested as he already was _without_ knowing him he wasn’t sure if he should even _allow_ himself to get closer. He was curious though, almost unhealthily so but drawing a True Blood’s jealousy or worse, anger, was not a risk he was willing to take.

“Sorry, I must be boring you”, Sabo apologized himself again and Law wanted to object… but decided to stay quiet this time.

“There isn’t much of interest left to see, just follow me.”

Just why was this person he didn’t know at all just confusing him so?

Law was so distracted that he almost missed that the other man had long left the room and hurried after him when he finally snapped out of his stupor.

Sabo had wandered over to what couldn't be so much called a front door as it was a front gate.

When the door swung open Law couldn't see much more than the familiar darkness of the night but Sabo beckoned him to step outside.

"There's another garden in the courtyard. I try to care for it even though I'll never be able to tell if it's as beautiful as the one inside," the blond told him but Law was still busy to try and comprehend what he was even seeing.

He couldn't even see the forest from here, and yet that was the only thing he could remember clearly from before he lost consciousness.

Sabo seemed to notice his confusion.

"You really don't remember, do you? How you got here?"

"I couldn't even see clearly,"Law answered truthfully, "I just kept walking until... I couldn't anymore."

The blond came to stand right next to him and pointed into the distance.

"You made it to the castle gates. Nothing would have stopped you from entering the courtyard but you didn’t."

Now that it was pointed out to him Law could see it too.

The vast courtyard was surrounded by walls, so dark he almost couldn't tell them apart from the overall surrounding darkness.

"I stumbled... and couldn't get up again... It wasn’t a conscious decision."

Sabo froze at his side.

"I'm sorry for dredging up bad memories.. You're okay now, so don't worry."

That Law was more used to. A Submissive's warm, caring side.

"It was my own fault anyway but... thank you, for everything."

Being reminded of it now, Law realized that he worried far too much about everything else but not how he couldn't even thank these people enough.

Here they offered safety and lodging and all he could think about was what boundary he would have to overstep to be thrown out again. He really ought to learn to appreciate help when it was offered to him.

It had been the same back when he had first been turned… He dispersed these thoughts again when Sabo laughed softly.

"No need for thanks. I'm glad you're okay."

Law wondered what it said about him that these simple words spoken by the blond made him fumble for a response that just wouldn't come to him.

"Come on, there is a tiny something I might have neglected to show you," Sabo said mischievously, ”or rather I had a feeling it might be of the most interest to you so I saved it for last."

Law just blinked at him in confusion.

"Don't just gawk, come on!"

Why? Why did it seem so easy? Why did it seem so right that the blond already acted as if they were friends, close friends even. Could Law even stay distant like that? Should he even try?

And Law _was_ curious, not because he was going to be shown something but because, based on the blond's intuition, he didn't doubt that it would actually interest him.

Back in the foyer, Sabo headed to the only door to the left, looking at Law expectantly.

"Actually, I think this room doesn't need an explanation, so why don't you head in first?"

Law almost felt tempted to make a playful retort and in the next moment wondered where the idea even came from. Even back in his clan he had never shared this kind of comfortable companionship with anyone.

Again, instead of pondering further, he discarded these thoughts, maybe for later reflexion, maybe to be forgotten forever. Right now he had neither the time nor the mind for them.

He opened the door in front of him and stepped inside without hesitation, only to freeze a moment later.

This...

There were walls filled, from top to bottom, with books.

"A library?" his voice embarrassingly caught on the word alone.

"I knew it. Glad I could surprise you."

"Did you... collect all these?"

Even in human cities it was hard to find any noteworthy number of books but this. There were even scrolls he didn't dare to speculate the origin of.

"Haha, I'd love to say yes but most of this is exactly as I found it. Unlike you and Ace, I actually can't say that I have travelled the world all that much. I try to add to the collection as best I can but I just don't have many chances I'm afraid."

It was already amazing as it was. Law could already see himself spending entire weeks in here. The pursuit of knowledge had always been a defining trait of him. He had loved books for that reason even as a child that couldn't do much more than wonder what all these weird letters even meant. He couldn't help but smile at the memory when Sabo's murmuring returned him to the here and now again.

"As a child..."

"Huh?"

The blond looked at him surprised as if unaware that he had even said anything.

"Ah, I- I was just thinking that as a kid I really hated books."

He was back to smiling again but Law had the uncanny feeling that it was just an excuse and not what the blond had been thinking about at all.

"Anyway, I guess this concludes our little tour," the blond said, changing the topic seemingly nonchalant before he paused to think.

"Well, I guess all I can offer for now is a warm bath before you go and get some rest. I cleaned your wounds as best as I could but... not all of the blood was your own."

Law's eyes widened slightly.

"I still smell of human blood? I hadn't noticed..."

"That shouldn't surprise you," another voice suddenly said, startling Law.

He hadn't noticed the True Blood approach at all which seemed to amuse Sabo.

"You really must be exhausted if you didn't hear him stomping down the hall."

"Hey!" the True Blood, _Ace_ , exclaimed though he sounded mock-offended at best.

"Not everyone can have senses like you."

He turned to Law then.

"Sabo's senses are superior to even those of most vampires. If he says he senses something you'd do well to just trust him."

But Law still couldn't shake the intense intimidation he felt in the True Blood’s presence.

Maybe it really was that different around vampires you had no connection with.

Back in his clan, not even his leader had seemed that intimidating. Law had respected him, certainly, even if he had often found himself disagreeing with him but he had always felt... safe, _secure_ in the knowledge that his own clan would never harm him.

He didn't have that security here and building trust outside of these boundaries... had never been his strength.

So he simply nodded in acknowledgment of the True Blood’s earlier advice.

"I guess I'll take you up on the offer then," Law sai to the blond.

"Right," Sabo confirmed happily, "Ace?"

"As you wish."

The True Blood... bowed? And apparently left to prepare mentioned bath. At least… that was what he concluded from that peculiar exchange.

Law was confused, especially when the blond at his side started giggling.

"I guess I _am_ making an unusual amount of requests today. Well, we should follow him," Sabo said and motioned Law to follow.

He couldn't actually see the True Blood anymore but Sabo obviously knew their destination and Law sunk back into thoughts as they made their way upstairs again.

Sabo and Ace were Mates, close and trusting each other unconditionally. Could Law really fit into the picture here, even temporarily? Wouldn't he just end up disrupting the peace again? He had already made that experience before after all, back in his old clan...

They went up to the third floor, the one Sabo hadn't shown him before.

They didn't enter any of the rooms close to the central staircase, instead Sabo showed him to a smaller room down the hall, closer in size to the one he had woken up in.

This room was rather empty too but what little it contained was all more the more surprising. There was a large tub filled with water in the middle of the room and the steam rising from it told Law that the water was indeed hot.

More surprising than that though was the sound of flowing water that reached his ears. There was a drain to the side of the room, filled to the brim with flowing water, that continued beyond the room through a hole in the wall.

He had been surprised to see any sort of waterworks in the indoor garden but seeing fully working waterworks here in the upper floors was truly baffling.

He had heard that the humans had started to create such waterworks but not that there were actual buildings already using them. But then again, not even Sabo knew if this place was even human-made to begin with.

"The water may be hotter than necessary so be cautious when stepping in," the blond advised him good-naturedly.

He also seemed in no way hurried to leave the room, even as Law, finding no reason to waste any time, started to get out of his battered clothing starting with his shirt.

Sabo's eyes focused on the hardly salvageable shirt as if lost in thought before his eyes visibly caught something else: the marks on Law's chest and arms. He looked at them puzzled for a while before apparently noticing what he was doing.

"Ah, I'd better see if I can find something for you to wear. Neither of us is exactly as tall as you but anything should be better than what you're wearing right now. Well, I'll leave you alone for now. Call me if you should need anything else."

With that the blond left the room though apparently he didn't get far if his exclamation was anything to go by.

"Ah, Ace."

The door got closed then and Law was left alone but he could still hear the short conversation outside.

_"I'll be going then. You staying here?"_

_"Yeah, I'll find some clothes and make sure he gets some proper rest later. Do take care."_

_"I'll just be a moment."_

The True Blood, _Ace_ , Law still had to get used to referring to him by name, was leaving? He was really leaving his Mate alone with a practical stranger around?

He either, for some reason, really trusted Law or he just really trusted in his Mate’s capability to take care of himself which was more likely but still...

Law decided not to ponder on it too much and finished undressing before stepping into the almost scalding water.

His mind told him it was too hot but his strained muscles relaxed immediately, so Law couldn't be bothered to care right now.

He got used to the heat soon enough and relaxed fully, practically feeling the dirt getting washed from his skin.

He soon sunk into a sort of pleasant haze, only coming to briefly when he heard the door clap.

He blinked his eyes open only long enough to see that it was only Sabo depositing some clothes on the small shelf next to the door before he drifted right back into his daydream. Though the dream was pleasantly empty, the calm felt like a balsam to his soul.

He'd be fine, everything would be fine.

 

**X X X**

 

"I'd better get you to your room and a proper bed before you fall asleep and drown."

Law jolted right out of his daydream, slipping and sinking deeper into the tub as a result.

Laughter reached his ears as he quickly regained his composure again and sat up.

"That wasn't a suggestion, you know?"

Law had no idea how much time had passed, only that the water had grown significantly colder and instead his cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

"Get dressed and I'll show you your room... unless you’d really prefer drowning?"

Sabo was really cheeky when he wanted to be, wasn't he? Law wondered why that had to be one of the first things he learned about the blond.

"I'll be ready in a moment," he assured him, if only to escape the embarrassment he was currently feeling.

"Alright, I'll be right outside."

With that Sabo left the room again, leaving Law to himself for the moment.

Sluggishly he got out of the tub again. He was only getting more tired by the moment.

He headed over to the shelf to inspect the clothes that had been left for him, quickly realizing that they were... a rather peculiar combination.

He could only conclude that the shirt was Ace's, a tad too short but definitely too wide, while the pants had to belong to Sabo, fitting a lot better but being even shorter.

Law sighed. His height had always been somewhat of a problem. Now he would have to find suitable clothes all over again but for now this would have to do, even if looking unintentionally comical on him.

When he was done dressing, he went outside to find Sabo waiting for him.

The blond's eyes immediately narrowed in on the "problems" Law encountered with the borrowed clothes and there was clearly some subdued amusement in his eyes but also something resembling pity.

"I'm really sorry," he said, sounding sincere in his apology, "we'll get you some new clothes as soon as possible. For now I'm sure you want nothing more than to sleep though. This way."

Law only nodded and followed the other vampire back down to the second floor. This time though they didn't even so much as enter the long hallway to the left of the stairs but stopped right after rounding the corner that was closest to the bedroom, if Law remembered correctly.

"This is your room for now. Use it however you want."

The door Sabo opened upon saying that led to a room not as big as most of the others he had seen today but still much bigger than the one he had woken up in.

It was decently furnished too, offering a bed, a closet, several smaller shelves and even a work desk. In the end it had more furniture than he had seen in any of the other rooms so far.

"Can I really accept this?"

Again Sabo's laugh answered him first.

"Of course you can. You have seen how little of this place we actually use. But now go and get some sleep before you collapse."

Sabo was smiling at him, open and kind. What could he do but accept under these conditions?

"I will. Thank you again," Law said honestly, aware that he would never be able to put into words just how grateful he really was.

"Have a good rest," was the last thing Sabo said before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Law was really alone for now. His confused mind wanted to miss the company immediately but Law forced himself to focus on the rest the sudden silence around him promised him.

He pulled his shirt off again but apart from that couldn't be bothered to do anything else before falling into the surprisingly big and soft bed.

He didn't even know if another thought so much as managed to register in his mind before he was fast asleep, his body finally demanding the rest he had been denied until now.

 

**X X X**

 

It was quiet, both in the room and in Law's mind, which was extremely relaxing after the events that had led to him being in said room.

In the end he hadn’t been able to sleep much. Not much more than a few hours could have passed since he had fallen asleep. He was quite sure the sun was far from rising as well.

Despite the relatively short rest, he already felt much better, still somewhat lethargic, which would only grow worse until he could feed properly and replenish his blood supply again, but not as tired anymore.

He could probably sleep some more... if not for the fact that he'd always been somewhat insomniac but thankfully he didn't need much sleep to begin with.

Law had just woken, enjoying the silence and opportunity to sort through his thoughts when the door to the room opened slowly, a blond head peeking through the opening, smiling when he found Law awake.

"Sorry for disturbing you so soon. We're having dinner right now and I just wanted to ask if you feel like joining us," Sabo said, both his eyes and his words hopeful as he waited for Law to respond.

Dinner, huh?

Every clan had a very different perception of what exactly "a dinner" entailed. Law figured it could only be beneficial to find out what Ace and Sabo's understanding of the word was as soon as possible so he nodded in affirmation.

"Certainly. If I'm not imposing on you."

Sabo's smile only turned brighter.

"Of course not. You're more than welcome to join us. I'll give you a minute to get ready then," he said, disappearing from Law's view again, presumably to wait in front of the room.

Law threw back the covers, getting up to pull on the shirt he had mindlessly discarded just a few hours ago. It was still way too wide while being too short at the same time, not even properly resting on his skin. There would be time to worry about that later though.

For now he left the room to find Sabo waiting for him as expected.

The blond smiled and wordlessly led him to the room right in front of the stairs on the second floor, the one Sabo had mysteriously decided not to show him earlier. Now that he thought about it, he remembered Sabo mentioning it as a kind of dining room.

Stepping inside Law saw that it was a typical dining room, as found in a castle that was. It was quite possibly the biggest room Law had seen all day, though there really wasn't all that much inside. It didn't have to be either. There was but a massive table that took up the majority of the room all by itself. It probably offered seats for more than a hundred people... though there was but a single person sitting at it now.

Ace sat at the head of the table. The table in front of him was set, as was the place right next to him on his right and also... another seat a little further down the table.

Had they really expected him to join them and prepared for it?

There was a strong smell of roasted meat but also a faint note of blood in the air, not prominent enough to be human.

"Go on, no need to be shy," Sabo said nonchalantly as he walked past Law to his seat next to Ace.

Law followed his example after a moment, approaching the spot on the table that had apparently been set for him.

On the plate in front of him... was indeed quite literally "dinner". Meat with a side, a really _small side_ , of vegetables. On the first glance it was exactly what a human would consider dinner, if it wasn't for the fact that Law knew that the red fluid in the glass next to him wasn't wine. The smell of blood was strong from where he was now and clearly of animal origin.

Law was positively surprised. He knew there were clans, especially older ones, that were strictly against adapting typical “human habits” and all the while ignored that there were quite a few that could also benefit vampires.

"We prepare dinner every few days. In return we only feed every two to three weeks. We won't force you to join us, of course, if that is against your beliefs but said rhythm has ensured a peaceful life for us all these years. Thus we'd welcome if you chose to follow our example."

It was Ace who spoke. There was no threat in his words, Law didn’t know why still expected there to be one, but he felt that it was only right to assure that he had no problem with their way of life, quite the opposite in fact.

"It's no problem at all. My old clan didn't have anything against "human traditions”, neither do I. It's only logical to preserve one's energy like that if that's a possibility."

It wasn't the same as blood. In fact, even animal blood hardly offered the same amount of energy as human blood, but vampires too were very much capable of digesting food and using what small amounts of energy it offered them.

Vampire clans who weren't as prideful gladly used that chance to prolong the times between necessary hunts for human blood.

"I don't see you raising livestock though, so I assume you must be skilled hunters?"

Sabo smirked at the mention of hunting and even Ace seemed amused.

"You could say that," Ace answered.

"We don't kill unnecessarily but as long as it serves our needs hunting can be considered a hobby of ours," the blond added, smirk growing.

"Sounds like something worth seeing," Law mentioned and he wasn't just fishing for approval saying that.

Mates that hunted together, especially if they had no one to rely on but themselves, could only be a sight to behold.

"Sure. You could join us when you feel up for it," Sabo readily offered and it seemed like Ace had only waited for a comment like that to join in again.

"After all, we have yet to see what _you're_ capable of."

The True Blood's expression mirrored that of his Mate at this point, smirking, with a slightly more feral look to it, almost wolfish, but Law didn't feel the need to back down from such a challenge.

"That can be arranged. I wouldn't want to just stay here without repaying you somehow."

Ace seemed satisfied with that answer and Sabo mostly curious before he returned to his usual smile.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have the chance soon enough. For now you can relax though. Go on, eat. I'm sure you can use the energy."

He most definitely could and he would definitely appreciate getting some more hours of sleep later too but for now he'd enjoy what was so readily offered to him.

The meat he had been presented with was soft and well-cooked. Law was almost surprised considering vampires had prepared it. It was probably only logical but vampires, the few who did indeed try to cook were usually horrible at it.

While Ace and/or Sabo at least knew how to properly prepare the meat, it was still painfully obvious that seasoning had apparently never even crossed their mind.

Law wouldn't complain. To have a warm meal prepared for him was an experience he had definitely missed out on these last centuries. Experiencing it now was strangely warming, not just literally.

"Thank you," he muttered again, probably belatedly but again Sabo only smiled at him, while Ace merely nodded in acknowledgement.

They were both quite extraordinary people and Law realized he was glad he had met them.

 

**X X X**

 

Dinner was a quiet affair. Sabo apparently couldn't contain his curiosity for long and brought up a question every now and then, just tiny, unimportant details about Law's life that he had no problem disclosing to him, but after a while even those quieted down.

They had finished their meal, for quite some time now actually, but no one seemed overly eager to get up yet and Law wasn't sure what would be the right time for him to excuse himself.

Sabo had pushed his plate out of the way and soon after rested with his head on the spot on the table he had just cleared.

Law wouldn't dare assume that he knew the blond well enough to read his body language but he certainly seemed tired but too stubborn to admit it.

Law couldn't be sure that his assessment was correct but he found it endearing either way.

It remained quiet and Law found himself immersed in his own thoughts, relaxed and comfortable for once.

He could suddenly imagine his life here... but that thought was only meant to last for a short time.

_Hey, Ace...?_

Law looked up as Sabo suddenly broke the silence and for a moment he was simply confused.

Sabo was still leaning on the desk, head almost completely buried in his arms he had at some point decided to use as a cushion.

He wasn't looking at Ace, wasn't moving at all actually.

Had he even said something? Had Law only imagined it?

But Ace's full attention was on his Mate too, _expectant_.

_We should-_

Law got up from the table so fast he almost knocked over his chair.

The sudden action cut off Sabo's sentence as both he and Ace suddenly focused on him.

"Sorry," Law said, trying to keep from stuttering, "I'll be taking my leave for now. Thank you again."

He could only hope his face wasn't red from how flustered he felt as he made his hurried retreat from the room.

It hadn't been his imagination... but Sabo hadn't spoken either, at least not _to him_.

His voice had resounded loud and clear, not at all muffled like it should have been had Sabo actually _spoken_.

No, the voice had echoed right through Law’s mind, something that should be absolutely impossible for someone who shared no noteworthy connection with the blond.

Only Mates were able to hear each other's thought without establishing such a connection beforehand, so why...?

It seemed like fate just wouldn't let him come to rest after all.

What was he supposed to do about that?

He couldn't just ask with the threat of a mated True Blood looming over him.

Even if Law had no control over... whatever this was, and Ace had to be aware of that, the instincts of a vampire were simply stronger than rational thought.

Well, there was no point worrying about that now. Law would just have to stay quiet about this.

That being said, he was too restless to just return to sleep now.

Where was the library again? Down on the first floor, right? A decent book should serve as a welcome distraction right about now.

He hoped Sabo and Ace wouldn't mind but the blond had specifically shown it to him so he wasn't too worried.

Decision made, Law made his way down the stairs again. The size of the castle was still as impressive, maybe even more so now that he traversed it alone.

Whoever the prior owner was, had he really not once considered to reclaim it? It was really quite the mystery Law thought as he swung the doors to the library open.

The imminent smell of books enveloping him was calming all on its own.

He had perused books a lot as a kid born into a family with good education, not so much as a vampire but that was difficult. It was always difficult.

Vampires were powerful and yet it was most benefitting for everyone to lay low and not needlessly provoke humans, humans who had started printing books as opposed to vampires who still wrote them by hand, if at all.

Thus a library that he could peruse freely was indeed a rare blessing, and one he intended to take full advantage of.

He didn’t know where to start though so he just wandered through the room, skimming the titles of the books for now. They weren’t sorted alphabetically but by topic.

It was fascinating to see how much humans seemed to ponder on philosophy these days but human society always changed so fast, nothing ever seemed to be lasting more than a few decades at best.

Just what would humans be interested in next? There was no telling. Law didn’t care particularly either. It just seemed like waste of time to try and keep up with humanity’s oddities.

He let his fingers trail over the spines of the books until his eyes caught on a row of books.

Were those...?

He pulled one of the books out and flipped through the pages with increasing awe.

Medicine, did humans progress that far by now? As simplistic as the ones described here were, Law couldn’t help but be surprised.

Studying these books seemed like a good way to pass the time, even if they couldn’t hope to compare to- no, that wasn’t important right now. As a distraction these would more than suffice.

A quick look around showed him a small chair in one of the corners of the room, so Law picked two of the books he had just found and sat down to read.

 

**X X X**

 

Law tried to keep focused on reading but it quickly became difficult to keep his eyes open. He pinched the bridge of his nose but his focus just wouldn't return.

He was tired and yet he had no idea what time it even was.

Was the sun about to rise yet? Ever since his arrival here he had lost all track of time.

Well, he might as well go to bed whether the sun was already up or not.

He got up and returned the books to their original spot before silently leaving the library but on the way back to his room he stopped.

Should he... inform the others that he was heading to bed?

He had left without an explanation earlier. Maybe they expected he had returned to his room already?

There wasn't exactly a need to tell them he figured but they _had_ saved him and been more than kind already. The least he could do was to be polite in return.

From that perspective it was only common sense, so Law turned around and returned down the hall to the central stairs he remembered the living room being right next to.

But right in front of the stairs he stopped again.

What if they had already gone to bed? He didn't know that either. What if he ended up disturbing them?

He pondered over these possibilities for a moment before shaking his head.

He also didn't know himself to be such a coward. With the hospitality they had shown him they wouldn't throw him out over being impolite and accidentally disturbing them.

The bedroom door was closed, he had just walked past it, the door to the living room however stood ajar. He could see that from where he stood, he just didn't know what it meant.

Tired of questioning himself, he went to see for himself. The living room was the most likely place for the others to be anyway, according to Sabo's earlier explanations. It was quiet in the room though and when Law was close enough to look inside he also knew why.

There had been a fire in the fireplace not too long ago. Law could see the last glowing embers dying down slowly.

On the sofa in front of the fireplace he saw only Ace, not paying any attention to Law's presence. On the second glance though Law realized what held his attention instead.

Only a mop of blond hair was visible on the other’s lap, the rest of Sabo's body effectively blocked from Law's view by Ace himself.

Sabo was sleeping. Ace looked up after a moment, wordlessly catching Law's gaze.

He remained quiet, his eyes unreadable, as he carefully repositioned Sabo, so he could stand and pick the blond up instead. The motion was flawless and endlessly gentle.

He approached Law with the blond carefully cradled in his arms.

"Heading to bed?" he asked softly, obviously as to not disturb the sleeping blond.

Law only nodded, intrigued by the scene in front of him. Ace was looking at Sabo more than he was at him.

"He fell asleep a while ago," Ace answered the unasked question.

"Must have tired himself out worrying about you. Submissives just can't help but worry, I guess," he continued in a soft voice as he carefully tucked away some blond strands that had fallen into Sabo's face.

The whole scene spoke of a trust and gentleness so strong it was hard to look at without being hopelessly awed.

The moment was broken when Ace fixed him with a serious look that was anything but gentle.

"Be good to _him_ and everything's fine with me," he said, "however, if you're not-"

That was the moment Law stopped him before the True Blood could even finish the threat, keeping his voice clear but low.

“I wouldn’t dream of causing him harm in any way. On my honor.”

Though it wasn’t so much a question of honor. Any Dominant who willingly acted against his instincts to protect and care for Submissives was simply wrong and not tolerated by the vampire community.

Ace just looked at him critically for a while, keeping their gazes locked in an obvious challenge, before his features softened somewhat.

“That’s fine then.”

His gaze went back to the man still sleeping, perfectly undisturbed, in his arms.

“Sabo hasn’t had much contact with other vampires. I’m sure there’s a lot he can learn from someone who’s Turned like him,” Ace said, sounding almost lost in thought.

“Heh, there’s probably a lot even _I_ could learn from you. Especially since you’re…”

He seemed hesitant to voice it, maybe even hesitant to really acknowledge what his instincts told him was a fact. He wasn’t the first vampire and definitely not the first Dominant to be surprised when he met Law.

“I know I am not a common occurrence if that’s what you mean.”

Ace laughed softly. There was a glint in his eyes, when he did, that made him seem much younger than he was.

“That’s one way to put it, I guess,” he replied.

“I meant it, you know? Can’t help but wonder what kind of skills someone like you has.”

The True Blood seemed sincerely curious and Law couldn’t help but smile.

“I meant it too. I’m sure there will be more than enough opportunities to show you.”

Ace merely grinned at Law’s nonchalant display of confidence.

“You…”

The True Blood went still then as if he had forgotten something and Law watched in confusion as a faint blush spread on Ace’s face. He scratched the back of his head in another display of sudden embarrassment that Law had no explanation for.

“I… I never even caught your name?” he said then, as if he himself wasn’t sure if he hadn’t just forgotten that he had been told and Law had to keep from laughing at just how bashful the True Blood suddenly was.

“I’m Law,” he said simply.

“Ah- I’m-”

“Ace.”

Ace looked at him confused, so Law simply added: “Sabo mentioned it.”

Ace chuckled. “Ah, of course. Anyway, Law?”

Law looked at him, not sure what the other meant to tell him.

“You’re welcome here. Get some rest. Everything else will sort itself out,” Ace told him honestly and Law couldn’t help but stare at him.

“I will… thank you.”

Ace smiled in response.

“Just wanted to say it. You seem like the type to overthink things. Go, get some sleep. You should need it more than this one here,” he said with a playful glint in his eyes when he mentioned his Mate, still perfectly oblivious to his surroundings.

Law merely nodded, a small smile finding its way onto his face as well, before he turned to leave.

He turned around one last time to see Ace masterfully opening the door to their bedroom without rousing his Mate before he finally headed down the hall toward his own room.

Maybe everything really would sort itself out. Ace had been right though and Law found it difficult to simply believe that. But his new life here had just started after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been exactly six weeks since I posted the first chapter!  
> Actually that might just be the schedule for this whole fic.   
> A chapter every six weeks sounds doable, maybe a little bit faster once I handed in my bachelor thesis xD
> 
> Also huge thanks to my beta [xTheCherryx](http://archiveofourown.org/users/xTheCherryx)!  
> Did you read her One Piece Big Bang fic yet? If not, you're seriouly missing out!^^

The day was drawing to an end. 

Ace's instincts were infallible in waking him at least once before the sun had fully set and it was safe to move around outside, not that it mattered much within the safety of the castle walls.

_ Or  _ it might just have been because his Mate had a tendency to be up and about at this time too.

Sabo was still lying in bed, facing the other way, but Ace could tell he was awake. There was a restlessness in the blond’s mind that Ace picked up on but could not pinpoint the reason for. 

It was just like the blond, though, to be lost in inner musings even if he seemed incapable of figuring out whatever it was that bothered him by himself. It had been quite a while since it last happened, but with the appearance of their new "guest" it wasn't all that surprising that it would now.

He watched Sabo silently for a while, wondering if he would have to ask for Sabo to share what was bothering him or if he would do so on his own now that Ace was awake.

Sabo moved softly, not turning, merely adjusting his position.

Restless.

_ What does it mean if a vampire bears black marks on their skin? _

While Ace had expected a question, the content still surprised him. Where was Sabo coming from with this?

**Huh?**

Sabo turned to face him this time and Ace could see the blond's own confusion etched into his expression.

_ Law has marks on his chest and shoulders. I first noticed them when I cleaned his wounds but could see them even more clearly when he bathed. They didn't disappear but didn't seem like scars or anything of the sort either. They were too deliberate for that. I have never seen anything like them. _

Law had those? Ace hadn't seen them having left most of Law's care to his Mate.

**Law, huh? ...seems possible.**

_ What does? _

Ace sighed softly. Of course Sabo was curious and Ace did his best to answer all of his questions but apart from what he had experienced himself he was no expert on vampire society either.

**I have only ever heard of it myself, so don't take my word for it.**

Sabo only nodded, clearly eager to hear what he had to say anyway.

**They say that a human ‘sharing a strong bond with a vampire’ or ‘sharing a vampire's blood’, whatever that may mean, may bear marks of said bond. Law said he had known his Sire for quite some time before he had been turned, didn’t he? So... I guess it's possible they shared such a bond?**

At the end it sounded more like Ace himself was asking the question and in a way he was. At this point he was speculating at best but Sabo seemed fascinated anyway.

**You'll have to ask him yourself.**

_ Hm... I guess I will. _

The restlessness that permeated from his Mate lessened, replaced with a curious little smile on the blond's face.

Sabo looked around the room then. Seeing as there was absolutely no reason for that Ace knew him to be planning something. Not even a minute later the blond suddenly got up, rummaging around in their dresser soon after.

Ace sighed audibly.

**Let him rest, the sun is still out.**

Sabo paused, looking at him amusedly.

_ I wasn't going to ask Law. _

The amusement in his tone resonated through Ace's mind.

**Where are you going then?**

Sabo obviously tried to opt for an innocent smile in response, but all Ace saw was someone planning something they knew the other wouldn't approve of.

_ No need to worry. I'll be right back. _

**From where?**

The latter wasn't really directed at Sabo, but the blond must have heard it anyway. He chose to remain silent either way as he turned to pick out some clothes and quickly left the room, merely honoring Ace with one last smile.

"That idiot..." Ace muttered.

He really would have preferred not to get up yet but with his Mate so obviously up to something there was no way he was going to get any more rest today.

Ace got up, quickly picking some clothes for himself and, following his intuition, headed to the entrance in the lobby.

Sure enough, soon after Sabo, wearing a coat and fixing a sun-blocking hat on his head, joined him there. Ace didn't doubt that he had every intention to head out despite the sun clearly not even having fully set.

There was a sheepish expression on the blond's face that didn't impress Ace in the slightest.

**And where are** **_you_ ** **going?**

_ Just... to the town. _

**Now?**

Sabo looked at him pleadingly.

_ It's my only chance to still find the occasional peddler selling their wares. _

Ace wasn’t overly surprised by that. It happened every now and then that there was just something Sabo was  _ eager  _ to get but rarely was it that important that he was unwilling to wait till winter season and its longer nights that made it easier to trade with humans.

**What are you so desperate about?**

Sabo  _ did  _ look deeply troubled when Ace looked at him.

_ Law needs new clothes. He lost everything he had and ours aren't helping much. _

Ace understood that, but that didn't make him approve of Sabo's intentions.

**He needs clothes, yes, but he isn't at risk of losing his life due to lack of clothing, unlike you are by heading out now.**

Sabo only looked sheepish at best.

_ It's not  _ that  _ dangerous. _

And Ace really couldn't believe his Mate’s naivety at times.

**You're underestimating the risk.**

_ I'll be careful. I always am. _

**Yeah, because if you weren't you'd have died the first time you tried it! That's not helping your case!**

At this point Sabo's overconfident little smirk was close to infuriating, but Ace didn't fool himself. 

He wouldn't be able to convince Sabo to abandon his plan. If his Mate decided he would do something then he would, and Ace could only pray and trust in his Mate’s ability to take care of himself despite his recklessness.

Ace sighed defeatedly.

**Return immediately, whether you're successful or not.**

It wasn't a threat, hardly even an order, mostly just a Dominant worrying about his Mate.

The smile on Sabo's face widened, but whether it was because of Ace’s "approval" of his plan though, or because of his Mate's obvious interest in his well-being, Ace didn't know.

_ I will. _

With that Sabo left, the faint trace of remaining sunlight spilling in from the open door making Ace flinch instinctively.

A moment later the door closed again, but Ace's unease only intensified.

"Ace?" a worried voice called then. "Where is he going?"

It was the perfect time for the culprit of the whole dilemma to show himself, but Ace couldn't even blame Law for Sabo's recklessness. If anything, his obvious worry for Ace's Mate really spoke in his favor, so Ace merely sighed, and it felt like the hundredth time already, when Law walked up to him.

X X X

_ L a w. . . _

 

Law woke feeling unusually at ease with everything. He felt like a voice had called out for him while he slept, but after waking he couldn't say if it had just been imagination. He felt calmer regardless. The voice had been comforting,  _ familiar _ .

The sun hadn't set yet, Law noticed, but that was hardly unusual. It was a miracle he had even slept as long as he did. After his conversation with Ace yesterday his sleep had been much more peaceful.

The True Blood's approval was of utmost importance for his stay here and Ace seemed like a good person, a good  _ leader  _ if he ever wanted to be. If there was ever going to be a problem with Law staying here, it would definitely be caused by Law himself.

Before he could further ruin his mood with "what ifs", though, Law got up and redressed. The clothes that had been lent to him were still ridiculously badly-sized but by now Law was more amused than bothered by it. He would just have to start over again. 

Nothing he had lost during his escape was irreplaceable, except for  _ one thing _ he actually hoped to be able to retrieve, but he'd have to confer with Ace before he did anything on his own. He really should feed before doing  _ anything  _ on his own anyway, the animal blood from yesterday had hardly helped him regain any noteworthy amount of strength.

There was little he could do in his room, though, so Law left to move about the castle wondering if Ace and Sabo were awake at a time like this. 

The question answered itself rather quickly when he stumbled upon what seemed like a silent argument between the two Mates as he was about to descend the stairs to the lobby. Law didn't know what was going on since neither Mate uttered a single word, but the True Blood seemed rather restless, if not agitated.

Law chose not to intrude, if they hadn't already picked up on his presence anyway.

After a while Sabo left the castle, the light spilling into the building from the opened front gates indicating that it was clearly too early to be doing anything of the sort.

Where was Sabo going and  _ why _ ?

"Ace?" he called then, making his presence known. "Where is he going?"

He approached the clearly worried True Blood and quickly worried himself when the other all but sighed in response.

"To the town," Ace replied, clearly unhappy about it, “Just because the sunlight isn't intense enough to cause serious harm, he thinks it's fine to make me worry."

"Why would he even need to go there now? He hardly seemed like he was in urgent need of blood."

Ace looked troubled, almost indecisive, as he averted his gaze.

"No, not that..." he said but hesitated to elaborate. "He went to try and get clothes for you."

Law's blood froze in his veins.

“Oh no…”

Nothing else came over his lips, though, when the intense need to  _ act  _ filled his mind, but Ace merely went on.

"Submissives can't help but fuss. They aren't happy unless they do, Sabo especially."

"I'm so sorry," Law said dumbly, though nothing he said would ever be appropriate for the situation at hand. 

"I-"

Ace's sigh interrupted another string of pointless apologies.

"It's fine. It's hardly your fault. It's not like it's the first time he has done that. I've given up on trying to stop him."

Law could only blink at him. Ace's Mate regularly headed out into the sunlight out of his own free will?

Ace was still glancing at the door Sabo had disappeared through as if hoping Sabo would abandon his plan and return any minute now. All the while he had the forlorn expression of someone who had grown used to fearing for his Mate's life.

"Lionhearted..." Law mumbled, the word suddenly weirdly prominent in his mind.

When Ace looked at him questioningly, Law went to elaborate.

"I knew Submissives to be lionhearted when it counts, but I didn't know them to be quite this adventurous too," he said, unable to keep a hint of amusement from slipping into his voice.

The True Blood scoffed.

"Reckless, you mean. Stupidly reckless, with no regard whatsoever for the worry he causes me," Ace said, the words followed by another resigned sigh, and Law couldn’t help but feel sorry. 

"I am sorry for causing this. I'm sure Sabo will be just fine though."

"I know!" Ace groaned, exasperated. "It doesn't help though..."

Law was unsure what he should do at this point. Was there even anything he  _ could  _ do?

"Is there anything I can do?"

He only gained a confused look from Ace before he was waved off.

"Sorry, I'll literally just wait here. There's no need for you to stay. I'm sure there are more interesting things for you to do."

Law didn't exactly feel right leaving the True Blood alone like this but took his indirect advice anyway, and so he soon found himself in the library again. 

For a moment he was almost tempted to go see the impressive garden Sabo had shown to him yesterday. The thought alone felt foreign, though, and flowers, their sunny colors, like a forbidden relic he was not meant to see, not like this. Books, on the other hand, were familiar,  _ safe _ , knowledge contained in words that Law tended to get lost in whenever the chance presented itself, so in the end his decision was obvious.

Without an estimation of how long he would be staying in the library this time he picked a few books and returned to the same chair he had claimed yesterday.

X X X

Time was a fickle thing and weirdly subjective for such a worldly concept. Law had no idea how much time had passed.It felt like none at all, while the book he had already read through told a different story. It didn't matter as Law was already completely lost in the words of another.

There was nothing he had to do and no reason to watch his back here like he had grown used to during his solitary travels. It was  _ nice  _ for a change.

"You're a fast reader."

Law startled badly, almost dropping the book in his hand. He stared at Sabo, who casually sat in a chair next to him, with wide uncomprehending eyes.

There definitely hadn't been another chair before, so he had apparently not only missed the blond's appearance but also that he had brought and set down another chair to join him.

Had he really been that out of it?

"Sorry for startling you," Sabo said.

"You're back!"

Did he sound as relieved as he thought he did? If Sabo's sheepish expression was anything to go by he probably did.

"I am. I wasn't overly successful though..." he trailed off, "Ace told you, right? I did manage to acquire a coat I think should fit you. But humans, too, are rarely as tall as you. You can try it on if you want though." 

Sabo was rambling at this point, his eyes sparkling, though Law couldn't pinpoint the emotion reflected within them.

But now that zhe blond mentioned it, there  _ was  _ a sort of bundle of soft black cloth lying on Sabo’s lap. When he looked at it Sabo smiled and picked it up, causing it to unfurl when he handed it to Law.

It really was a coat. Law held onto it with one hand as he bent to put away the book he had still been holding onto after his earlier scare.

He got up, unfolding the coat to its full length and it did look promising. Even after putting his arms through the sleeves and closing the buttons aligning the front it sat nicely and reached all the way down to his boots, the only thing he could salvage from his former clothes.

The fabric of the coat felt heavy but soft on his skin. Sabo was beaming when he saw how well it fit.

"The material is of a high quality. It must have been expensive," Law remarked.

"I guess it was,” Sabo replied thoughtfully, “ but money is not something Ace and I worry about."

Law took it that Sabo wasn't insinuating that they were stealing. Concluding that it instead meant they were rather wealthy he deemed that piece of information something he would have to inquire about at a later time.

"Now you at least have something you can wear when you head outside."

"Thank you. This will more than suffice for now," Law said and after a pause added, "Please don't go out into the sun for me again."

At that the blond averted his gaze embarrassedly, scratching the back of his head.

"You too?"

"Just because it doesn't kill you, doesn't mean that it's a pleasant experience," Law said reasonably.

"It's fine... It doesn't burn as bad..."

Not for someone who knows what it is like to get burned when the wounds won’t heal. 

Sabo's retort had been vague but meaningful, so Law couldn't help but draw his own conclusion. It took him a moment to realize that Sabo was looking at him intently, a hint of surprise on his soft features. He didn't say anything, though, just kept watching him until Law felt like he was somehow being interrogated and broke the silence.

"You know that's only because it's the evening sun."

Sabo looked honestly surprised at the sudden response.

"Of course I do! Heading out at any other time of the day is as close to killing myself as I can get," he said in a peculiar mix of amusement and offense. "Ace would never let me do that anyway, not even to test it, so I don't really know what it is like. Do you?"

"No, but I know that vampires who do experience it never fully recover from it. It's physical and mental torture combined."

Hearing that the Submissive only uttered a small "Oh."

"Are you well-rested by the way? As much as currently possible that is. We'll be heading to town together tomorrow night, so don't strain yourself until then."

Law couldn’t help but chuckle at the worry that was just as honest as it was obviously used to cover up something else.

"Don't worry. I'm fine and I slept well, so I got as much rest as possible."

"That's good," Sabo said smiling and then bit his lip as if keeping himself from saying more.

He gave up on it a moment later though.

"I don't wanna bother you..."

"But you're curious," Law concluded and Sabo nodded.

"Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"I'll answer as much as I am capable of," he said, smiling faintly, and Sabo nodded happily.

"Thank you."

But with the permission given it suddenly seemed like he didn't even know where to start. Law took the opportunity to pull the coat off again draping it carefully over the chair before sitting down again.

"We really should get a sofa in here," Sabo voiced suddenly, surprising Law.

"Why?"

"Why not? It's more comfortable, no?"

Law didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't, and Sabo returned to pondering what he should ask of the other vampire first.

"So, ah... you've been traveling for quite some time, huh? Where did you come from originally?"

The question was the last one Law would have expected and Sabo quickly seemed to regret asking it, too.

"Oh gosh, I'm horrible at this, sorry."

There was a faint red tint rising to his cheeks that Law couldn't help but find utterly endearing.

"It's fine," he laughed softly, "like most of my former clan I'm from an island far to the east... but that's not really what you wanted to ask, is it?"

"Not really. I guess I'm not even sure which questions are appropriate to ask," the blond admitted sheepishly.

At that moment it really showed that Sabo must not have met many vampires in his life, even less talked to them.

"Ask what you want. I won't be offended."

"Hm... so... have you met any of your Mates yet? You don't have to answer, of course!"

The blond really was adorable like this, curious but oddly shy.

"It's fine. My Mate, yes, no True Mate though."

Sabo's eyes sparkled at his response.

"Who is it?" he asked excitedly. "Ah, I mean, it's not-"

"My Sire," Law replied, interrupting Sabo's rambling.

The blond looked honestly surprised.

"Is that... a common thing?" he asked then, but Law wasn't sure what he was referring to.

"What is?"

"That a Sire turns out to be the Mate of someone they turned."

Law paused at that. Not at the question but more at what it insinuated.

"It happens," he answered haltingly, slowly sinking into his own thoughts, "but it's not overly common as far as I know."

So if Ace had turned Sabo, which Law suspected at this point, then the True Blood might quite literally be the  _ only  _ other vampire Sabo knew. He was surprised that Ace wasn't hopelessly possessive of the blond if that was the case, or at least didn't act like it.

"Ace turned you?"

He didn't mean to ask, but the words slipped out before he could stop them. Sabo didn't seem bothered though.

"He did. I asked him too, I guess."

Law looked at him questioningly due to the uncertain statement. Sabo noticed and elaborated.

"It wasn't an easy time back then. It wasn't so much that I  _ wanted  _ to be a vampire as it was that there was little other choice. I knew what Ace was and I wanted to stay with him. He wouldn't have turned me if I hadn't consented to it."

"Did you know that he is your True Mate right away?"

Sabo looked unsure for a moment.

"Yes and no. It's one of my earliest memories, Ace calling out to me. I wasn't even aware that he did so in my mind or that I responded in kind after a while. I didn't know what it meant either until Ace explained it to me."

Sabo was extremely lucky then, and maybe a bit too sheltered, never having known a life without his True Mate. It didn't matter much to Law, though.

It wasn't like he had ever actively searched or even yearned for his True Mate. He was used to being on his own, and whenever he had found people he cared about it had only ever lasted long enough to make the reminder, that he was never meant to have a "home" or a "family", that much more painful.

Law drifted off in his own thoughts until he noticed Sabo looking at him intently. The blond seemed about to say something before he thought better of it and averted his eyes.

"There is another question I have that I'm not sure I should inquire about," he said and Law looked at him curiously.

"Why not?"

"Even Ace didn't know when I asked, so it might be rare or intentionally kept secret," the blond explained.

"Well, what is it? You won't know unless you ask."

"You're right," Sabo agreed but still seemed at a loss how to continue, "Those marks..."

"Hm?"

"The marks on your chest and your shoulders, what do they mean? If you can tell me, of course."

Law was slightly surprised but of course others would notice. He was just so used to them that he himself didn't anymore.

"I don't know what they're called," he replied honestly.

"Ace didn't either."

Law hummed thoughtfully. It wasn't like he specifically wanted to know. As it was he himself was probably the most knowledgeable when it came to them, but that at least proved that even True Bloods didn't have any more knowledge than that.

"I can only tell you how I got them, if you really want to know."

It was a weird thought though. He had never told anyone before. His Sire was the only other person who knew about them.

"It has to do with your Sire, yes?" Sabo asked and Law only blinked.

He was almost starting to get used to the feeling that Sabo could somehow read his mind.

"Yes. I-"

"No, that's alright," the blond interrupted him suddenly, "It seems like the wrong time to ask that. I only want you to say what you're fully willing to tell me. Thank you for agreeing to tell me, though."

Sabo smiled brightly at him and Law was left speechless. The blond almost seemed to know him better than Law himself did. 

He considered himself strong, he had to be, but maybe he just overestimated himself sometimes. His past wasn't a secret, and it didn't hurt like it did back then, but remembering it was still painful.

Law startled when a soft weight settled against his shoulder.

He looked at the blond now leaning against him, his eyes closed and expression entirely content, even though the chairs they sat on definitely didn't make it the most comfortable position to be in.

"I'm done for now," Sabo said calmly, "feel free to continue reading if you want."

Law could only stare at him and while a panic wanted to settle in his heart, at the possibility of being seen by the blond's Mate like this, for some reason the exact opposite happened. A deep, encompassing calmness enveloped him, and after a moment he took the blond up on his offer and continued reading, careful not to jostle Sabo as he did so.

X X X

Ace was entirely confused by what he saw.

The library wasn't usually a place he entered at all, not as fond of books as his Mate was, but after Law and later Sabo disappeared into the room and didn't return for several hours he was simply curious.

He suspected Sabo had mostly gone to talk to Law but that had been well over four hours ago, and when Ace entered the library he found that they were indeed neither talking... nor reading.

Sabo and Law sat in the far corner of the room, peacefully leaning against each other. There was a book weakly grasped in Law's right hand but no pages were being turned as the vampire must have fallen asleep at some point, just like Sabo had.

It was a peculiar picture, but mostly because, if Ace didn't know better, he would have been convinced that he was looking at two Submissives right now. They looked perfectly equal, the completely unguarded expression on Law's face one that the True Blood hadn't seen before, not even when they had found Law unconscious in front of the castle.

Somehow... it felt like something he wasn't supposed to witness, so Ace left the room again, closing the door softly behind him before leaning against the wall next to it, unsure what to do.

If they were both tired enough to just fall asleep like that, they really should just get some rest in proper beds. "Stubborn Submissives" he would usually say, but even if Law somehow  _ seemed  _ submissive at times he had also proven that he was definitely not. "Stubborn Turneds" then. It really wasn't like Sabo alone could be a real handful at times.

**Sabo.** Ace called for him, softly but clearly.

Those two really ought to get to bed, but Ace had a feeling that Law would panic slightly if he just waltzed right in, like he had almost done just a second ago.

_ Huh… What…? _

**Sabo.** Ace called again, not sure what the blond was so confused about.

_ Ace, good morning!  _ Sabo replied jokingly.  _...it really is almost morning, isn't it? _

Ace smiled to himself.

**That's about right, I would say.**

_ Oh... So, what? Are you scared of libraries now? Why don't you just come in? _

Sabo was clever, of course he would notice.

**I didn't want to disturb you.**

_ There's nothing to disturb. I took a nap but... surprisingly Law seems to have joined me. _

Ace couldn't deny that his Mate sounded almost awed saying that.

_ He's... kind of beautiful like that... _

And Ace didn't know what exactly Sabo was seeing right now, but he clearly remembered the peaceful, unguarded expression from before and couldn't help but agree.

**You're right about that.**

Sabo went still for a moment.

_ So you  _ did  _ come in. _

Ace chuckled to himself.

**I saw you but I had a feeling Law wouldn't take it too well if I barged in on you like that.**

_ You're right. He doesn't distrust you but... _

**He's cautious, maybe overly so, but for all we know it could be the first time he's seen a Mated True Blood like me.**

_ I guess. On the other hand we have never seen someone like him either. _

That was true. Ace was a little fixated on what to expect from the other vampire when he didn't even have anything to compare him to but Dominant True Bloods, but that wasn't what Law was.

**You're right. We'll just have to get used to each other.**

_ I'm sure we will. _

**Now wake him up and get him to bed, please.**

He heard Sabo laugh softly in his mind.

_ Right away. _

**And then** **_we_ ** **are going to bed.**

_ Huh? This early? _

**If you're tired enough to fall asleep in the middle of the night! I never wanna hear that I'm not taking care of you.**

_ Don't worry.  _ This time he could hear the fond smile in the blond's voice.  _ I'll bring Law to bed and come back right away. _

**You do that.**

Ace stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against and headed upstairs to wait for his Mate to join him.

X X X

It was almost weird how well Law was able to sleep. He could keep blaming it on exhaustion and blood loss from his wounds but it really didn't feel like that was the case.

He just felt... welcome. He hadn't been sure at first but instinctively he just felt...  _ safe  _ here. 

It was with that exact feeling that he slowly returned to consciousness when he felt something stroking through his hair.

"Hey..." Sabo called softly.

And all Law could think in that moment was that he  _ loved  _ that voice. It felt incredibly familiar even though he had only gotten to know the blond one day ago.

"What is it?" Law asked, not completely awake yet.

His wakefulness returned slowly when Sabo's laugh reached his ears.

"You weren't supposed to join me. If you were tired you should just have gone to bed."

"I hadn't been aware..." Law replied yawning, sitting up straight again.

At that moment the book he had subconsciously clutched this whole time fell from his grasp, startling Law with the ensuing thunk.

"Sorry," he mumbled as Sabo went to pick it up.

He was looking at the book curiously before returning it, and the others Law had taken, to their rightful place.

"Why is it you're so interested in human medicine?" the blond wondered out loud before looking at Law almost startled.

"Sorry, I'm doing it again," he apologized sheepishly as he returned to Law's side. "For now, let's get you to bed."

"Huh?"

"No buts, it's best for you to save your energy for tomorrow."

When Law didn't react right away the blond practically pulled him up into a standing position before insistently guiding him to the door of the library. As confused as Law still was by the turn of events, there was little he could do but go along with it.

Sabo stopped ushering him when Law fell into step with him, following him up the stairs. The blond was absolutely intent on getting him to bed and Law couldn't help but smile realizing that the blond wouldn't be deterred until he had reached his goal.

Law wondered if it was weird, being pushed around by a Submissive like that, but he really didn't mind at all. Sabo was quite extraordinary in his own way.

The blond made sure to accompany him all the way to the door of his room. Law almost laughed and really couldn't suppress the smile that appeared on his face.

"Satisfied now?" he asked amused.

"Huh?"

For a moment Sabo seemed confused what he was even talking about before realization visibly dawned on his face.

"Well, certainly! Even more so if you head to bed right away!"

Law chuckled at that.

"I will try," he promised, "what are you going to do now?"

A fond smile spread on the blond's face then.

"Actually I was ordered by my Mate to head to bed as well,”  he said in a tone that spoke of fond exasperation, “He really needs to learn that there's a difference between being comfortable and actually being tired."

Law amusedly wondered if Sabo was any different, though, having dragged him all this way here.

"That's different! You're still recovering!" Sabo said fervently before stopping abruptly, seeming surprised and then quickly confused.

Law passed right over all these and went straight to slightly shocked. He had always had the feeling that Sabo could somehow read his thoughts but the blond had never responded  _ this  _ directly to them.

"You..." Sabo mumbled, clearly unsure, "you didn't say anything just now, did you?"

What? Had he- 

No, that was impossible.

"...I didn't," Law replied, though he really didn't know what to make of the situation.

"Oh. Oh well..." Sabo scratched the back of his head embarrassedly.

"I must be tired after all, sorry about that. Have a good night!" he said smiling, though to Law it seemed more like he was fleeing and he couldn't even blame him.

"You too," he said simply and watched the blond give him one last smile before turning and disappearing down the hall.

Law still stood there frozen.

He had tried to ignore it but it had already happened far too frequently to be considered a coincidence, moments where he thought he could actually hear Sabo's thoughts and even more so the moments where he felt like Sabo could read his mind. What if he was really just hearing Law's thoughts as well?

But then... how could they share thoughts if they weren't bonded in any way, neither as clan members, and even less as  _ Mates _ ? It didn't make any sense.

Law sighed, fervently scratching his scalp as if it would help clear his mind. It wasn't like there was anyone he could ask either, clearly not Ace. Law didn't know why but somehow sharing minds with his Mate surely wasn't something the True Blood would approve of.

Law had nowhere to go if Ace were to throw him out over this and... possibly worse was that Law just really  _ liked  _ them, Sabo and Ace, too, even if he still had to learn more about the True Blood.

He... he  _ wanted  _ to stay, and the time he spent with Sabo in the library somehow made him realize that. 

Law always just marched ahead because that was all he  _ could  _ do, but his past, while he thought he had accepted it, still plagued him. It was easier to admit that now, realizing that it was so obvious that even someone like Sabo, who didn't know any details, could see that it bothered him.

And Law didn't mind that. It was reassuring to know that Sabo somehow knew and respected that, more than Law himself did. All Law could ever see was this stupid weakness of him that might just end up getting him killed if he allowed it to distract him. He didn't have to fear that, though, if he could just stay here for a while.

So what if he admitted to that personal weakness of his? If he yearned for Sabo's understanding nature and his respect?

“So what?” Law sighed. 

If only that wasn't such a hopelessly Submissive way of thinking. Submissives did that among each other all the time, offering support and advice. As kindhearted and fond of bodily contact as they were they had no problem openly seeking that kind of comfort.

Dominants were the complete opposite though. Law didn't doubt that most Dominants were stubborn enough to say that they had no use for such things, up until the very moment they found their True Mate who would offer that kind of support without ever being asked to. It was their strength and they were respected for it, even if Dominants themselves never really took advantage of it. They were stupid like that, and while Law had to admit that he shared most of these traits, he wasn't stupid enough to  _ blindly  _ follow his instincts when just thinking about them logically revealed obvious flaws.

He hadn't asked for it, but if Sabo intuitively picked up on it and offered his support, who was Law to reject him, or even  _ deny  _ his weakness? There was little point in doing so if the Submissive could so clearly see right through him.

That much even a Dominant should be able to acknowledge.

Law wanted that at least, as much as he wanted to stay, so if Sabo could somehow read his thoughts... He had never really met other vampires before so, like his superior senses that Ace had mentioned before, maybe it was just something Sabo could do and hadn't noticed before?

But he himself had... no, Law might very well just have imagined what he heard. He had never had the feeling to clearly hear what Sabo thought, unlike the blond seemingly did just a moment ago. Or... had he?

Law honestly couldn't remember anymore. So much happened in so little time. As long as he benefitted from it and had no proof of the opposite, he'd just consider it a trick his tired mind had played on him. It was very much possible. Being able to hear Sabo’s thoughts, without being bonded in any way, was much less likely after all.

Right, that made much more sense. Satisfied and somewhat calmed by the conclusion he had reached Law finally entered his room.

The shock and the confusion had actually tired him out, and finding sleep turned out to be much easier than he had expected.

X X X

Ace had returned to the bedroom he shared with Sabo right away, but when he heard him and Law walking past, he decided to step out and wait for his Mate in the hallway.

Ace thought it was a good idea to give the Turneds some time among themselves. He didn't doubt that Sabo would be his ever-curious self with Ace around but he also didn't doubt that Law would needlessly worry about what he could say in his presence. It made sense. Sabo was his Mate after all.

But above all the blond needed a chance to learn about the things a True Blood like him would never be able to even fully understand, and Ace didn't mind that, if anything he was grateful.

_ Maybe you should tell him that. _

Ace looked up, surprised to see Sabo standing right in front of him. He hadn't noticed that the blond had returned already.

_ I'm not even trying to be stealthy, and while I can understand Law being lost in thought, you're not usually the type. _

Sabo was clearly amused at his obvious distraction.

**What's that supposed to mean?**

_ You're usually very straightforward is all. But I meant what I said, you should thank him if you really feel that way. _

Confronted like that Ace couldn't help but avert his eyes.

**I will... when the opportunity presents itself.**

_ So never. _

**I didn't say that. And no, I didn't think that either!**

Sabo grinned as he added the second part. Ace was just too used to that argument that Sabo, even after centuries, still brought up just to tease him.

_ I've never heard you thank anyone…  _ The blond brought up suddenly, as if he had just now realized that himself.

**What do you mean?**

Ace didn't deny that "Thank you" wasn't the most typical thing to say for him, but he had also spent most of his life alone, before he had met Sabo. He wasn't ungrateful, though, and was sure that Sabo knew that too.

_ You're not someone who expresses gratefulness with words. You show it in other ways. _

**Are you suggesting something?**

It was rare to see Sabo so thoughtful, although that wasn't exactly right. Sabo  _ was  _ a lot more thoughtful than Ace, but it was rare for him to be that way during their conversations.

He used to be that way, somehow reserved and hesitant in his words, but that had been way back. Ever since Sabo had been turned, had grown used to and confident in his new abilities, he had luckily adopted a happier disposition, often playful and teasing towards his Mate.

He still seemed that way right now, but it didn't feel entirely right, almost  _ forced _ .

Sabo looked as if Ace's question had pulled him right from his thoughts and he needed a moment to answer.

_ Not directly. Above all you should just talk to him. I don't know what you talked about yesterday, and I appreciate you letting me to talk to him alone, but this isn’t just about me. _

Ace couldn’t help but smile at how honestly worried Sabo seemed to be about him and Law not getting along.

**Don’t worry. I just don’t want to rush you, or him. For now it seems easier for him to trust you anyway. I’m still that** **_Big Bad True Blood._ **

_ Ace. _

**It’s fine. It’s only natural.**

Of course Sabo would worry enough for the both of them.

**So how are you getting along? I’m sure you bothered him with your question today. Well, at least until you both fell asleep.**

Ace laughed, the memory still fresh in his mind, and Sabo actually seemed flustered.

_ That was just…! _

Sabo didn’t even seem to know what he could say in response, though, and quickly dropped the topic.

_ Anyway. He shares some similarities with you, I guess, but… I don’t know. He seems somehow...  _ unstable _. I mean, I don’t know many Dominants but… _

**So you feel that way too. At times he seems almost… overwhelmed with his position. He doesn’t really seem like he lacks confidence though.**

Ace had felt that way earlier too. When the other Turned had just seemed so at ease that he was almost certain that he was looking at another Submissive. It wasn’t just what Ace saw though, he instinctively felt that way too and he never had to doubt his instincts before.

_ It might really just be exhaustion. He seems much better now, but he won’t be able to fully recover like this. _

**Right. We’ll head to the town tomorrow, so he can feed properly. We should take it easy on him until then.**

Sabo only nodded in response but he still seemed somehow distracted.

**Is there... something else? You seem troubled.**

Sabo looked at him with surprised eyes for a moment before shaking his head, as if he could disperse his troubling thoughts that way, thoughts that, despite their bond, Ace just wasn't privy to.

_ No, everything's fine. I'm just tired, like you said. So... _

Ace barely caught a glance of the mischievous expression on Sabo's face before the blond was up in his space, pressing a quick but firm kiss to his lips.

_ Bring me to bed? _

Sabo was looking at him expectantly, the words in Ace's mind just as mischievous and playful as the blond’s expression.

How could Ace deny him?

If there was something Sabo decided not to tell him Ace wouldn't force him. If it was important he'd get to know eventually. For now Ace had other responsibilities, and the most important one stood right in front of him.

**Gladly.** Ace responded to Sabo's earlier request and unceremoniously picked the other up.

_ H-hey! I can walk myself! _

**You couldn't yesterday.** Ace couldn't help but remind his Mate of that little fact.

_ I was asleep back then!  _

**Who says you aren't right now?**

_ Wha- I'm not just dreaming that you're intentionally being a jerk to me right now! _

Ace's following laughter only earned him an adorable pout from his Mate and Ace pressed a soft kiss to the blond head in his arms.

If Sabo wouldn't ask for his help, the least Ace could do was distract him for the time being.

When Sabo relaxed in his arms, trusting that Ace would never let him fall, Ace one-handedly opened the door to their shared room, just like he had done yesterday.

**Well, off to bed with you.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! And as always you can just talk to me on [my tumblr](http://jjkmagic.tumblr.com/) if you feel like it^^
> 
> I'm trying to think of anything in this chapter that might need further explanation but I really can only think of one thing...
> 
>  **Sunlight** in itself **does not kill vampires** , instead coming into contact with sunlight incapacitates them and makes them easy targets. Faint sunlight, in the early or late hours of the day, merely blinds them should it hit their eyes. **Intense sunlight** , however, literally **numbs all of their senses** : blind, deaf and mute they're unable to escape the light or whoever intentionally blinded them and even unable to call for help. Merely Mates can still call for each other via their bond but even that rarely leads to a timely rescue.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I mentioned it at the beginning but there are terms used in this story that are mostly self-explanatory but also have some specific quirks in this context, so I'll add basic explanations for the terms as they appear.
> 
>  **True Blood/Turned** : This is really self-explanatory, a **True Blood** is someone who was born as a vampire, whereas a **Turned** was, well, turned by another vampire. True Bloods are rather rare though. While they are powerful, vampire hunters once specifically aimed to exterminate them. They were understandably unsuccessful, but the number of True Bloods remains diminished, especially since, being eternal beings, vampires aren't usually invested in reproducing at all.
> 
>  **Dominant/Submissive** : In this vampire society the differentiation between male and female isn't nearly as important as the differentiation between Dominant and Submissive. **Dominant** vampires have more power. They are the warriors among the vampires. In a clan it is their responsibility to fight and protect the Submissives of the clan. **Mated Dominants** are also very possessive. **True Bloods are often Dominant** and rarely Submissive. A **Dominant Turned** however is even rarer, **close to unheard of**. **Submissive** vampires on the other hand keep the clan together. They are more level-headed and are often sought out to receive advice and/or mental support. They intervene and stop fights between Dominants since Dominants won't hesitate to attack each other but would never hurt a Submissive. Submissives aren't usually fighters but they are lionhearted when the clan is in danger. Their inexperience in battle however usually puts them at a disadvantage when faced with hunters and they often fall in battle when trying to protect others. **Mated Submissives** are more reserved around other Dominants and tend to stick close to their Mate for support, to receive it as well as to offer it.
> 
>  **Mates/True Mates** : Every vampire has a total of two Mates, one of them simply referred to as Mate and a second True Mate. A **Mate** can be many things: a friend, a mentor, a member of the vampire's family. It is one key person in their life that they share a deep and lasting connection with, even if they may only meet occasionally. It is a person they may turn to without fail, in good as well as in bad times. A **True Mate** however is a vampire's **destined lover** , the person they are meant to spend their life with. Once True Mates find each other they never stray from each other again. **A life without the other is unimaginable** , thus the death of a True Mate usually ends in the death of their partner too.
> 
>  **Mates as well as True Mates** are the only vampires that are naturally able to hear each other's thoughts, thus they **often converse using thoughts alone**. If they're not bonded yet they may only do so when physically close to each other, once they are bonded they are capable of doing so independent of distance.  
>  Mates are destined to be bond for live, though many spend centuries fruitlessly searching for their Mates and even more die without ever meeting them.  
> Also, because Sabo mentions it in the first chapter: since the vampire society is based on dynamics rather than genders, **male/male and female/female relationships are equally as common as mixed gender relationships** , regardless of among True Mates or not. Turneds who were raised in human society tend to be confused about that at first but usually their developing vampire instincts help them adapt rather quickly.
> 
> **tl;dr  
> **  
>  So much info! If you read until here, kudos to you, and thanks for being so interested in the story^^  
> I'm quite motivated to continue but still can't promise any regular updates any time soon but until then:  
>  **I look forward to comments and criticism~**  
>  You can also come visit and talk to me on [my tumblr](http://jjkmagic.tumblr.com/).  
> Also I'd love anyone interested in helping me beta the upcoming chapters <3


End file.
